


Diplomacy

by nerdyketones



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Day At The Beach, Diplomacy, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Feelings, Grief/Mourning, Meditation, Non-Human Humanoid Society, Original Character(s), Peace, Royalty, Sacrifice, Self-Sacrifice, Team as Family, War, Warrior Woman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-11-12 06:07:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11155830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdyketones/pseuds/nerdyketones
Summary: Understanding an alien species is hard. Forming an alliance is even harder.Shiro and the paladins attend a party on the alien planet of Iujon to celebrate the Iujonians becoming their allies. While there, Shiro meets the confusing and mysterious Princess Lixwe, and learns that keeping an alliance under the threat of the Galran Empire is more complicated than he ever could have imagined...especially when he's catching feelings for the alien princess.Featuring a fiercely anti-violence alien race, Shiro finding comfort in an alien, the realities of war, and a bit of romance?





	1. Chapter 1

“Now, try to remember,” Allura was in her ultimate lecture-princess mode, straightening their appearances, “Iujonians greet each other by the phases of their moons, but they are also a very forgiving people. If you do not remember the proper way, admit it. Do  _ not  _ guess as to what the names of the moons are, as that is extremely insulting.” She said most pointedly to Lance, adjusting his tunic.

“That was a joke! Kind of. It’s Limar, Wedu, and...Bpmal?”

“Yes, they are.” Allura praised, gaze softening. 

“I’m sure you will all do your best. That’s all we ask.” Shiro said encouragingly. Personally, he disliked diplomacy missions. It was very stressful to look after the other paladins, remember the proper customs as to not offend anyone, and possibly risk poisoning himself on organic foods incompatible with human biology. It was more stressful than a firefight. Still, he was the leader. He needed to appear calm and engaged, especially because Pidge and Keith hated diplomacy missions almost as much as he did. Pidge only wanted to examine their technology and learn about it, not talk about treaties and alliances. Keith, who hated large, loud groups of people and socializing with strangers, suffered the most at diplomatic meetings. 

That’s why he always paired Hunk with Keith. Hunk loved new people, new places, and new things. He cherished diplomatic events, and was always very excited to make new friends. He balanced out Keith, made him feel a little less uncomfortable. Shiro also always paired Pidge with Lance. Lance, who was also like Hunk, would keep Pidge from sneaking off to open control panels or endlessly fawn over a robot. When Pidge was with Lance, she was more likely to engage the native populations in honest discussions about things other than technology. Besides, Pidge would keep Lance from flirting too much.

As much as it bothered him, Shiro usually stayed by himself. If he felt like he was out of his element, Allura or Coran would usually notice and would come to back him up, but the two Alteans almost always stayed together. He was grateful for it- Princess Allura could more than take care of herself, but her safety was incredibly important. Besides, after the last mission, where an alien had mistaken Coran’s kindness for a marriage proposal and had proceeded to carry him off, Allura had been very wary of leaving him on his own.

Shiro resisted the urge to pull at his collar. The Altean formal tunics Allura had borrowed them all weren’t necessarily uncomfortable, but Shiro still didn’t like them. It felt wrong to be dressed in rich, stiff fabrics when he was so used to armor and fatigues. At least it hid his arm. 

“Alright, team!” Coran said brightly, handing them each an earpiece. “These will allow you to hear English when the Iujonians speak. It should translate any Wedu also. I’ve been told that the other guests will have something similar, so you shouldn’t have to worry about translating anything!”

“Coran, you are a godsend.” Pidge said seriously, examining the tech closely before sticking it in her ear. 

“Thank you.” Coran said primly. “Right, well, let’s not keep them waiting! Everyone stay with your buddy and be yourself!”

“Except you, Keith,” Lance muttered.

“Shut up, Lance!” Keith hissed, glaring. 

Before Shiro could open his mouth to scold them both, Hunk hastily took Keith’s arm and pulled him after Coran and Allura. Pidge pinched Lance’s arm, hard, before leading him on also, absorbing his squawk of protest with a roll of her eyes. In his unexpected moment of privacy, Shiro took a deep breath, closing his eyes, before following his team.

“Greetings!” An Iujonian was waiting at the doors to the hall, and greeted them in the traditional way: both sets of arms open wide, the head tipped up to expose the throat. For Iujonians, it was an ultimate sign of respect. “How do the phases find you?”

“Full and shining brightly,” Allura said gracefully. “And you?”

“They are full and bright for me as well. We are so excited to have you here, paladins. It is an honor.” The Iujonian smiled kindly. “I am Rehsab, your councillor. If you have need of anything or any questions, do not hesitate to find me at any point during the evening.”

 “Thank you, Rehsab.” Allura gestured to the doors. “Shall we?” 

“Of course,” Rehsab opened the door for them, simply smiling when each paladin thanked him for hold the door. Inside, aliens were milling about the hall, sampling hors devours and making polite chatter. They all broke out into applause as the paladins came into view. From across the room, an Iujonian female approached them, smiling warmly. Her purple hair fell in waves that swished along with her silver robes. The intricate beaded necklace at her neck signified her as the Iujonian equivalent of a queen. 

Allura had provided them all with a dossier about the royal family. It consisted of Klia, the queen, and her two children: Lixwe, her daughter, and her son, Dmwa, who was married to the Wedu princess. Klia’s husband, Yiu, had passed almost four years ago due to illness. Greatly beloved by the Iujonians, the sorrow of his death had not yet passed. Allura had been very clear that they were not to, under  _ any  _ circumstances, bring up the death of the king. 

“Greetings, paladins! How do the phases find you?” Klia asked warmly, arms wide and chin raised. 

“We are all full and bright. And you?” Allura asked, bowing in the Altean custom. 

“I am full and could not be brighter. It is an honor to have you here.” Klia told them. “Iujon and Wedu are committed to defending the universe from the spread of the Galra. We hope that our alliance will create lasting peace.” 

“I could not say it any better myself.” Allura said, smiling. Shiro could already tell that Allura found Klia very agreeable. Considering both of them were strong women and fearless leaders, it wasn’t that surprising. The two women began to walk away with Coran, speaking about treaties and shipping routes and politics. 

Shiro found himself bouncing from group to group of people. The Wedu were extremely small creatures with a set of wings that were almost bigger than they were, but they were just as friendly as the Iujonians. Dmwa and his wife, Urs, were very welcoming and made very easy conversation. Still, as the party went on, Shiro found himself getting tired with the constant smiling and commenting on how red the moon Bpmal looked in the sky. He managed to excuse himself to the balcony. It wrapped around the entire hall, accessible from any direction by high archways. Thankfully, thick curtains separated them, making the balcony private, but also much, much warmer. The material of the curtains was designed to keep the heat out. Even the hall, packed with people, had been much more ambient than outside. 

It was calming to look at the city stretched out before him. Even though the horizon had three moons instead of one and the city below was bathed in multiple shades of light, he could almost be reminded of home. It didn’t matter that the sky was a peculiar shade of yellow or that he was millions of lightyears away from home. Standing in the quiet, with a breeze, watching the city-- it was exactly what he used to do in Nagasaki. 

“--op it!” A voice, frustrated, shattered the moment. Curious, Shiro stepped away from the railing and followed the balcony towards the source. “You need to get a hold of yourself, Lixwe!” It was Dmwa and Lixwe, the two royal siblings, and their argument sounded pretty heated.

“Get a hold of myself?” Lixwe, who Shiro had not yet met, sounded uncharacteristically furious for an Iujonian. “You expect me to be merry, after everything that has happened?”

It was wrong to eavesdrop, but her grievances sounded troubling. Any bad news the Iujonians hadn’t told them could put strains on their relationships. Allies did not keep secrets, but when they did, they were usually policy-shattering or incident causing secrets. 

“I know you miss him. I do too. Don’t lash out at me because you are still grieving.” Dmwa said quietly.

“You’re not in mourning anymore. It almost killed Mother to see you like that.” Lixwe sounded choked up. It was then Shiro realized that almost every Iujonian in attendance had been wearing silver garments. If that was their color of mourning, as black was for humans, Dmwa had truly been one of the few to not wear it. 

“I--I have to try and move on somehow. Nothing can ever replace him, but being stuck in an endless cycle of sadness will not help us, or our people.” Dmwa sounded just as grieved. When Lixwe said nothing, Shiro heard footsteps turn and leave. He wasn’t sure who had left, and was just about to slowly back away and return to his secluded spot on the balcony when a figure rounded the corner and bumped into him. As was instinct, Shiro caught the person to keep them from falling.

“Oh--I! I apologize!” Lixwe’s eyes widened as she realized who she’d run into. Her eyes were wet with tears, and she hastily looked away from him when she saw that he knew that she’d been crying. She hastily wiped at her eyes. Her bottom two hands, which had grabbed onto Shiro to keep from falling, had not let go. Then again, Shiro hadn’t let go yet either. 

Allura had been very clear; do  _ not  _ bring up the king, but how could he not? It was obvious that she was grieving and obvious that he’d heard their conversation. 

“I’m sorry. Are you alright?” Shiro asked carefully, blinking down at her. Even though Iujonian’s had two sets of arms, they were still so surprisingly human-like. Their skin, two-toned and swirled, reminded Shiro of cream in coffee. Their tears, just like the sky, were oddly yellow. Lixwe wiped them away again with fingers that were trembling.

“You are a paladin of Voltron. If the Black Lion has accepted you as it’s pilot, you must be a good man. A man that respects honesty.” Lixwe unexpectedly met his gaze, her pale green eyes blazing. Their pupils were cat-like, but were horizontal instead of vertical, almost like an amphibian. “More than anything I want you to know that you are welcome here, but that I do not believe in the alliance my mother has forged with you and your team.”

“Can I ask why?” Shiro asked, letting go when she did. Something about her was so fascinating. Underneath all of that strength and fury the sadness and vulnerability lingered. He didn’t even care that he might be prodding a sleeping dragon, asking a question that could lead to a breakdown in relations with the Iujonians. For some reason, in that moment, he felt drawn to finding out more about her, understanding her. Lixwe seemed visibly surprised that he’d asked, that he hadn’t taken offence at her rant.

“I…” She moved to the railing, bracing her lower hands on it. Her upper hands covered her face. “Iujonians have always believed in peace above all else. My family, the royal family, has remained in power because above all else, even each other, we choose what will bring peace. My great grandfather believed it, my grandmother after him, and my father after her. Now my mother has embraced the tradition as well, and has extended an alliance to you and your team.” Lixwe lowered her hands and stared out at the horizon, tense and full of grief. “Without out a doubt, Zarkon will hear of this alliance. He will not hesitate to send troops here. Our promise of an alliance with you will bring about a promise of war.”

“If you weren’t frightened for your people, I’d be worried.” Shiro said after a few seconds. Lixwe whipped around, eyes blazing hotter, and then hesitated.

“I--I am afraid.” She admitted, leaning against the railing and rubbing her forehead. They stood together in silence for a long moment.

“You aren’t the only one who is afraid.” Shiro said, joining her at the railing and staring back out at the city again. “I understand that Voltron has been gone for a long time, and that people have suffered and died. People are afraid of what will happen, but we have to work together and we have to have hope, or the fight is already lost.”

Lixwe turned to stare out at the city also. “You are very wise. And very brave.” She gave a small, sad laugh, and added, “You remind me of my father.” When Shiro glanced over at her, it was to find that she was scrutinizing him carefully. Her eyes passed over his prosthetic hand, but she asked no questions and said nothing. 

“You’re still grieving. Princess Allura warned us all that your mourning was still ongoing, and that it would be rude to speak of it, but...I am sorry for your loss.” Shiro said honestly. Lixwe bowed her head at his words.

“I admire your Princess Allura. From what I understand, she and her advisor, Coran, were awoken from cryogenic sleep to find everything they had ever known to be destroyed.” Lixwe said softly. “Yet she still is an extremely strong and courageous person. All of you are. Though I do not know much of where you come from, I can sympathize that you had to leave things...people...behind.” She glanced at his hand again. “You all have made sacrifices, and I thank you for that.”

“We will make it through this, as allies. Yes, the Galra will come, but I believe you will help to keep your people safe.” Shiro said, resisting the urge to try and slide his hand into his sleeve to hide it. The air around them, warm and dry, hung silently. The muted sounds of the party going on behind the curtains was an odd backdrop to their serious conversation. “Can I ask you a question?” He asked after a few minutes of watching the three moons. When Lixwe cocked her head at him to show that she was listening, he asked, “Why is the sky yellow?”

“Ah. This might prove difficult for the translator, but I will do my best,” She said, brushing white blond hair aside to show her earpiece, gesturing to his at the same time. “I have been told that your ‘Earth’ has ‘oceans’, vast expanses of...water?”

“Yes,” Shiro encouraged.

“Hmm.” Lixwe shook back her sleeve to reveal a small computer on her upper right wrist, which she briefly typed a prompt into, searching. “Aha. Yes. My tutor explained just this morning that light from your sun reflects off the water. In your atmosphere, this light appears blue to your eyes. For Iujon, it is almost the same. Our eyes perceive the color more as orange than yellow, but the same thing is happening.”

“Is your ocean also made of water?” Shiro asked. “Our blue paladin, Lance, has been missing the oceans back on Earth for a long time.”

“No. Our water comes from deep underground.” Lixwe said with a shake of her head. “I’m afraid there is no word in your language for the compound our oceans are made of. It is lecswiil. Still, if it brings him happiness, I am sure Rehsab would be more than happy to organize a trip for you.” 

“Maybe I’ll ask.” Shiro said, frowning at the thought of Lance and then the rest of the paladins. The night had gone suspiciously smoothly...too smoothly. It was time to check back in with his team. “Speaking of Lance, he is a troublemaker. I should check on him and the others.”

“Of course. Thank you very much for speaking with me, Black Paladin Shirogane.” Lixwe offered him a faint smile. 

“Call me Shiro, Princess Lixwe.” He said, unable to hold back a smile. Lixwe smiled back. 

“You must call me Lixwe, then.” She insisted. “I believe the human custom is to...agitate?” She offered him one of her upper hands.

“We call it shaking hands. Like this,” he demonstrated, and Lixwe watched their hands moving with a confused but interested expression. 

“I won’t forget. Thank you, Shiro.” She shook his hand with a bit more firmness, smiling wider. 

“Thank  _ you,  _ Lixwe.” He said, and she bid him farewell. Ducking back through the curtains, Shiro rejoined his team, heart a little bit lighter than it had before. He saw Lixwe come back in a few minutes later, and her brother talked to her for a moment before the two of them seemed to reconcile their differences and go separate ways. 

The rest of the night went surprisingly well. Even Keith managed to enjoy himself. There were no embarrassing moments, and Allura seemed happier talking with the queen than anyone had seen her in weeks. As the party finally wound down, Shiro found himself carrying a very sleepy Pidge on his back as they walked back to their guest lodgings. “I mean, they are just  _ amazing!”  _ Lance was saying, starry eyed. “Did you know that they have ‘astrological signs’ like we do? I mean, there are only three, based on their moons, but it’s still really cool! I’m a Wedu.”

“Oh, oh, what am I?” Hunk asked excitedly.

“Besides loud?” Pidge grumped on Shiro’s back, half-asleep.

“Besides loud.” Hunk agreed, ruffling her hair.

“Hmm.” Lance counted on his fingers. “A Bpmal. I think. It’s hard to assign our time to theirs, you know?” 

“Finger counting is always more of an art than a science.” Coran agreed, smiling. 

“Oh, and did you know they have rules about what they use their hands for? Like, their right hands over their left, and their bottom over their upper?” Lance was on a roll. “A really cute man in waiting showed me.”

“What else did he  _ show  _ you?” Pidge asked drowsily, and let out a grunt of protest when Shiro hefted her pointedly. 

“They only use their left hands when touching their elders, their top hands are for those of their social standing or higher only…” Lance sighed dreamily. “Can you imagine having  _ four  _ arms?”

“Huh.” Shiro remembered his handshake with Lixwe. She’d shaken his hand with her top right hand. He doubted that he was her social equivalent on Iujon, seeing as he wasn’t  _ royalty,  _ and he wondered why she’d offered one of her top hands at all if social culture frowned upon it.

“What?” Keith asked.

“It’s not important. I just didn’t realize Princess Lixwe saw me as her equal. When we met, she shook my hand with one of her upper ones.” Shiro shrugged a bit.

Allura stopped dead in her tracks. “She did  _ what?”  _ She asked in an undertone, eyes wide.

“She had an idea of how we greet one another on Earth; you know, a handshake?” Shiro let go of one of Pidge’s legs to offer his hand to Keith, who shook it as a demonstration. “She offered one of her hands to me first. I didn’t know there were rules about that kind of thing.” He felt a little nervous, seeing as Allura was still staring at him as if he’d grown a second head...or a second pair of arms. 

“Well, if she offered her hand to you I suppose there was no harm in accepting. You didn’t know, after all.” She seemed relieved that they’d avoided a diplomacy nightmare. “But please refrain from telling anyone else. Iujonians who believe in strict enforcement of the ‘Touch Laws’ would cause an uproar if they knew.” 

Lance made a few more jokes about ‘Touch Laws’ as they went their separate ways into their rooms. Shiro dropped Pidge off in her room and prodded her to wake up enough to take off her shoes and to promise to hang up her formal tunic so that she wouldn’t sleep in it and wrinkle it; Coran would be so disappointed if the tunic got wrinkled. He checked on everyone else, made sure that they were comfortable, and then went to his own room, slowly shutting the door. Night had fallen long ago, hiding the yellow (orange?) sky from view, but the three moons, one almost over the horizon, the other two staggered across the sky, were glowing brightly. 

Even with the colored mass of lights from the city around them, the stars shining bright above were incredible. Iujon was in an ‘Irregular’ galaxy, meaning it had no shape classification, but the beautiful colored clouds made the sky above his head absolutely breathtaking. He eventually shut his window and curtains and took off the stiff tunic, glad to be out of it.

As he lay in bed, trying to sleep, his thoughts inexplicably turned back to Princess Lixwe. 


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning at breakfast, Rehsab surprised them all with an offer to go to the ocean. He had been very taken aback when Lance  _ whooped,  _ throwing his fist in the air and rattling off the Lord’s Prayer in Spanish, but after a resounding  _ yes  _ from the paladins, Allura told him that they’d be delighted to go. 

“Our top scientists ran a biological statistical analysis this morning on your compatibility with our oceans.” Rehsab said as the high-speed pod sped along, whistling quietly. “The lecswiil is not hazardous to you, but we ask that you avoid accidentally drinking any as a security measure.” 

“Lecswiil?” Keith repeated. “What’s that?”

“It’s what their oceans are made of.” Shiro said absentmindedly, watching the landscape of Iujon race by. When he felt disbelief crawling through the silence that followed, he looked up to find everyone staring at him. “What? Princess Lixwe was kind enough to explain it to me last night.” 

Keith raised an eyebrow as Rehsab said, “Yes, the Princess has been very curious about your planet and your customs. She went to great lengths to study what we know of you so that she could better understand you as a people.”

“That was very kind of her,” Hunk saved the moment, seeing as most of the paladins were still staring at Shiro. “Can we get some books on the history of your people? I’d love to learn more about Iujon. Especially your foods! The way you mix your flavors…” Hunk engaged Rehsab in a hearty discussion on herbs.

Keith tilted his head at Shiro and asked in an undertone, “Is that where you were last night?”

“What do you mean?” Shiro asked, sitting up straighter, frowning.

“You left the party for about three hours yesterday.” Keith said, matching his frown. “I was just about to go look for you when you came back. At first I was...worried.”

“Thanks for keeping an eye on me,” Shiro said seriously, the incident with Coran nearly being ‘bride-napped’ returning to his thoughts. “But I was fine. I went out to the balcony to get some air and the Princess was already out there. We had a good talk.” When Keith still looked unimpressed, Shiro added, “I appreciate your caution, Keith. It’s smart, but you don’t have to worry about this. You do feel safe here, don’t you?”

“Yeah. I do.” Keith agreed with a shrug. “I just didn’t expect you to befriend anyone at a diplomatic event. You hate them as much as I do.”

“That’s fair,” Shiro admitted, smiling when Keith did. As the pod slowed down, Rehsap reminded them all that while the ‘water’ was safe, they should take extra precautions not to ingest any. He seemed floored by Lance’s enthusiasm once again, seeing as when the pod doors opened he yelled, “ _ Let’s hit the beach!”  _ and ran out of the pod at top speed, dragging Hunk with him. 

“He’s jubilant. Very excited.” Coran reassured Rehsap, watching Lance sprint down the beach with a fond expression. Aside from the sand being black and oddly sparkly, it was the same texture as sand on Earth, which was reassuring and relaxing. Shiro had just knelt to pick up a handful, making a mental note to keep his Galra arm as far from the tiny grains as possible, when he heard Lance yell out wordlessly and indignantly.

“ _ Oh. Quiznak.”  _ Pidge was saying, eyes wide, and pointed. 

Lance was positively fuming from where he was  _ standing on the water,  _ arms crossed. Hunk had joined him, and was bouncing on it experimentally, as if he expected it to give at any moment. Keith had stood at the shore line, watching the tide, brows furrowed. 

“Ah.” Rehsap looked confused as well. He slid out of his sandals and held up his tunic to avoid getting it wet as he waded in with no problem. 

“This is fascinating! There must be a difference in biology here; the surface tension keeps the high concentration of water out. We are made up of more water than you are after all.” Pidge was saying, gingerly walking out onto the lecswiil and giving a little bounce, laughing a bit at the trampoline like surface. 

“It is worth investigating. I am sure our scientists could work on this problem. I am very sorry to disappoint you like this, Blue Paladin McClain.” Rehsap apologized formally.

“It’s cool. No one saw this coming, least of all me. And dude, call me Lance!” The blue paladin bounced one more time before turning to Pidge and asking, “Wanna bet how high Hunk and I can bounce you into the air?”

“Oh, you’re  _ on!” _

“It really is quite peaceful here,” Allura said, sitting primly on a blanket on the warm sand, watching the paladins play. Even Keith had joined in, and the boys were taking turns trying to bounce Pidge higher than the other. 

“Yes, it is.” Shiro said, relaxing against the solid heat of the black sand, careful to keep his one arm on the blanket. If he closed his eyes, he could listen to the waves crashing onto the beach and think that he was back on Earth. Of course, it was  _ never  _ this hot in Japan, but he’d been to Florida once to see their space center. He’d loved the beach and the ocean, the warm, wet heat. Of course, the air on Iujon was the driest heat he’d ever felt, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. “Were there any places like this on Altea?”

“Not exactly.” Coran sounded amused. “The Altean equivalent to the water in your oceans would probably burn your skin off. But it was pretty to look at!”

“ _ WOOHOOOO!”  _ Pidge went sailing to an incredible height as all three boys triple-bounced her on the surface of the lecswiil. Shiro instantly sat up, tracking her flight, and then hastily got to his feet when Pidge actually broke through the surface of the lecswiil and disappeared.

“Crap! We killed Pidge!” Lance panicked, kneeling on the surface of the lecswiil and trying to scrape at it. 

“Pidge? Pidge!” Keith had summoned his bayard and was attempting to cut through the surface as Allura and Shiro jogged out onto the lecswiil, followed by Coran. Rehsap was wading in, swimming with rapid strokes to the spot where Pidge had gone in when out of the blue a  _ gigantic  _ half fish/half whale creature breached the surface, pushing Pidge out with it’s snout before disappearing.

“Pidge!” Hunk hugged her tight, weeping with relief. “I’m so sorry, dude!”

“Sorry? Guys, it was  _ amazing  _ down there!” Pidge spluttered a bit, coughing, but her eyes were wide with awe. “The plants, the marine life...Rehsap, are they  _ sentient?!”  _

“The creature that rescued you is an opli. They have intelligence, and are very loyal creatures. Some Iujonians bond with one and keep it as a pet of sorts. They do not have a set language or any other higher forms of communication, but they do have a very complicated set of emotions.” Rehsap looked relieved that Pidge hadn’t drowned. Shiro briefly sympathized with their councillor; he had to look after the most rowdy, curious, and trouble-making bunch in the galaxy. “Green Paladin Holt, are you alright? Did you swallow any of the lecswiil?” 

“I don’t think so. Guys, can you do that again? I really want to see under the lecswiil again!” Pidge asked excitedly, wringing her hair out so it wouldn’t drip into her eyes. 

Allura firmly denied her request, and shooed the paladins off of the lecswiil. At first, Lance sulked until Keith sat down and started aimlessly forming little mounds in the sand. After that, they started making a sand castle, which Allura, after she was taught the basics, wholeheartedly joined in on. 

They ended up spending all day at the beach. The sand castle only grew more and more intricate, with the paladins building an entire room around Hunk when he fell asleep. Pidge wandered up and down the beach collecting plant material that had been uprooted and washed ashore. She also brought back rocks of all shapes and colors. Keith built her a little throne, which she sat in and declared herself Supreme of Sand. 

They only left when Rehsap worriedly pointed out that they all looked pinker than normal. After they’d explained to him how normal a sunburn was and how humans could ‘tan’, he seemed a little more at ease but still insisted that they return. The group dozed for most of the way back, exhausted but peaceful after a long day of sun and sand and  _ fun.  _ “Perhaps before dinner you would like to soak in an actual...bath?” Rehsap suggested mildly, checking his dictionary, as they arrived back at the palace. “Our umpe oils are similar to those of your  _ coconuts _ . Our baths off of the training deck are infused with them.” He mispronounced the word, but the utter delight that filled Lance’s face sold his offer. 

“Concentrate!” The word was barked as the paladins walked through the gym of the palace. It was  _ huge,  _ with many hallways and individual training rooms. Keith was peeking into every room, impressed and looking like he was itching to train. There were rooms with mats for stretching and yoga like activities, steam rooms for losing water weight, rooms for running, rooms for gymnastics, rooms for weight training. However, the room they were heading towards seemed to be the biggest and the largest. 

“Oh, please forgive me. I forgot that the Queen’s children were training today. The baths should still be available; there are private sections and multiple ways to get there.” Rehsap apologized, slowing down as they got nearer to the large, open doors of what was clearly an arena.

“Can we watch? Just for a second?” Keith asked, gesturing to the doors. 

“I...don’t see why not.” Rehsap was very easy going, but he seemed to hesitate before accepting. He led the way to the doors. “Please refrain from going inside, however.” He warned. “We would be truly despaired if you were to be injured on accident.”

The scene inside was absolutely incredible. For being such a peace loving people, the Iujonians appeared to be fierce fighters when they wanted to be. “Good!” The trainer praised as the Prince ducked some kind of blow and parried with skill. “Princess?”

At the trainer’s prompt, the princess coiled her braid onto her head and slid on her helmet, expression almost icy with determination. Her brother patted her on the shoulder, earning a brief grin, but then she focused intensely on her opponent. When the trainer gave the signal, the fight was launched. Shiro had seen incredible strength in battles (specifically from Allura), and he’d seen utter determination, cleverness, and fearlessness from his team...but he’d never seen anyone fight the way Lixwe did. 

For one thing, he’d never seen weapons like hers. They seemed to be normal daggers, but when there were four of them moving at incredible speeds it simply looked like a wall of blades, utterly deadly. Whereas her brother had been focused on evading and strategy, she seemed to be a powerhouse of energy. Her brother had stood his ground and blocked as much as he had attacked, but Lixwe was  _ fast.  _ Every flip and twist and graceful move was paired with wickedly fast slices and jabs. Considering her opponent was an alien with about nine appendages, the fact that she was clearly winning was impressive. 

One, two, three moves later and all of the staffs and blades the alien opponent had been holding were yanked or hit out of their reach. 

“Passionate, but sloppy, Princess!” The trainer was scolding as Lixwe pulled off her helmet, offering her lower hands to the opponent. They held each other, briefly, clearly a sign of respect for the sparring match, before Lixwe turned to her trainer, frowning.

“ _ Sloppy?  _ That was incredible!” To everyone’s surprise, it was Keith who interjected. 

“Ah, paladins! Welcome to our training arena.” Dmwa said brightly, hastily sheathing his weapons. He then cocked his head and asked, “Forgive me for being blunt, but why are you...pink?”

Rehsap was quick to fill him in on how humans ‘tanned’ in sunlight.

“We’ve never seen anyone fight the way you do. Is it possible for us to train together?” Keith was on a roll, eyes flicking over their blades, their trainer, the arena, clearly wanting to give it a go.

Shiro instantly knew that Keith had caused offense by the way the trainer visibly started, Rehsap’s spine straightened, and the Prince seemed taken aback. 

“I see no reason not to.” Lixwe said after a moment, and her trainer twitched visibly, clearly displeased.

“Please, do not trouble yourselves. There is no need to accommodate us if it is not proper for you to do so. Keith is simply very interested in the techniques you utilize.” Allura spoke hastily but with grace.

“We are a people of peace. To fight an ally, even for training purposes…” Rehsap looked nervous.

“Seems to be a good way of learning from one another and strengthening our alliance.” Lixwe was not backing down. “Propriety means nothing with war nipping at our heels.”

“I...precautions would need to be taken, but I suppose the paladins could train with Zasd and myself.” The trainer glanced just once at the multi-armed opponent.

“I would not want you to be uncomfortable, Fery. I am capable of instructing them.” Lixwe either was oblivious of the anxiety and tension she was creating or she simply didn’t care.

“We will speak of it tomorrow. The paladins asked to see the baths to clean up after a long day.” Rehsap seemed ready to combust. “Princess,” He bid her farewell as hastily as possible while still being respectful and ushered the paladins off to the baths.  
  
“Nice going, Keith,” Lance grumbled as Rehsap left them to soak in the warm, fragrant water.

“It was an honest mistake!” Keith flared up, looking uncomfortable. “Besides, if anyone was likely to cause an incident on this trip, it was definitely  _ you!” _

“Alright, that’s enough.” Allura said firmly. “It is no one’s fault but my own. I was not aware of these Iujonian customs and so you were not properly coached on a situation like that. I am not blaming Princess Lixwe, but her determination to go against custom did not help the situation.”

“That’s twice now,” Hunk said thoughtfully, slipping up to his chin in the water. 

“Every royal family has a ‘wild child’ at some point.” Coran said fondly. “Why, I remember  _ your  _ rebel years, Princess!”

“Coran!” Allura protested, flushing. Much to her embarrassment, Coran entertained the paladins with stories of Allura’s rebellious years until dinner. After a particularly humorous story about Allura ‘rescuing’ the main course of a dinner party from ‘murderous tyrants’, Allura made Coran change the subject. 

Dinner was quiet. The long soak in the tubs had soothed their skin, but the long day at the beach in the sun had made all of the paladins tired. Thankfully, they were not eating with dignitaries, just with each other. Rehsap was notably  _ not  _ present, and Shiro had a feeling it was because of Keith’s unknowingly awkward request and Princess Lixwe’s insistence on fulfilling it.


	3. Chapter 3

After a long night’s rest, the paladins had almost forgotten about the incident at the training arena. Breakfast was held with the closest thing Iujon had to a religious organization- the Peacekeepers. They promoted non-violence in the community and safe, respectful methods of venting anger, confrontation, and training of Iujonians for battle. They were an odd mix of monks and generals.

It wasn’t until  _ after  _ breakfast, when the Peacekeepers were gone, that Rehsap informed them that Princess Lixwe would be available in the afternoon for training should they still wish for instruction.

It would be rude to either accept or deny the invitation. In the end, Allura accepted, but only for herself, Keith, and Shiro. Allura and Shiro were leaders, closer to Lixwe’s social standing, which made things just slightly less offensive. Keith had to accept because “he had initiated” the debacle. Allura warned him, however, to keep the training as short and non-combative as possible.

“It is difficult to explain, but think of it this way. It is a difficult process to be accepted as a soldier. We see it as a necessary tainting of one’s soul.” Rehsap tried to explain before they left. “It is a solemn, awful, but necessary burden and duty to learn violence. It is the ultimate sacrifice that few are trusted with.” He fidgeted a little and added, “Although it is clear that we are not the initiators of corrupting your soul with violence, adding any darkness to your souls by sparring with you is still a...sinful act.”

“So...do the trainers feel guilt for teaching?” Keith tried to follow along.

“Guilt, grief, and much more. Part of the burden of being a soldier is to know that you will be corrupted and that you will corrupt others. It is a huge responsibility to ask of someone.” Rehsap seemed relieved that Keith was catching on.

Suddenly, Lixwe’s fears for her people took on new meaning. By forming an alliance, her family had accepted the burden of ‘corrupting’ many of their people. The soldiers they had surely consulted with had agreed to such a sin as well. Their sacrifice, now shed in a new light thanks to his understanding of their beliefs, seemed much greater than what seemed fair.

Shiro felt a new hatred for the Galra.

It was a tense walk down to the training deck. It seemed that even the presence of armor or a weapon was sinful, as Rehsap had them carry their gear packed away instead of out in the open. Regardless, it was obvious what it was. Iujonians even turned their heads away from it, not wanting to be corrupted.

And Lixwe had fought so passionately before. Why?

“Greetings! How do the phases of the moon find you?” Lixwe had been stretching, the sparring partner from before and the trainer nowhere to be seen. Perhaps that was why she offered a hand, her  _ upper  _ hand, to Allura. She saw the Altean hesitate, but she didn’t pull away.

“We are full and bright. And yourself?” Allura asked, almost visibly wincing when Lixwe offered her hand to Keith next.

“I am full and bright.” She replied, shaking Keith’s hand and offering the hand to Shiro.

“I’m sorry, but I have to be blunt. Why take this upon yourself?” Shiro asked as he shook her hand, and Allura practically froze.

“Royalty and the military are meant to be a protection, a barrier, between our people and the violence of our universe.” Lixwe wasn’t fazed by his question. “It is the fate given to us. I would much rather stain myself further when I am already so corrupted compared to anyone else, and by that I mean no offense to you, or your way of life. We simply believe that violence consumes, no matter how well-intentioned the source.”

“And the hand shaking.” Shiro was on a roll. “Why do it?”

A hint of a smile pulled at Lixwe’s lip. “I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable or offended you. I believe that because we are all tainted with the violence the Galra have spread, we are equal. It matters not that I was fated to be scarred and you were not; the fact remains that we both are.”

“It is a sad outlook, but there is truth in it.” Allura said after a moment. “We appreciate your bravery and your sacrifice.”

“And I yours.” Lixwe said, and Shiro felt another pang of realization. She’d told him the same thing at the party. While her sadness had been obvious, he now realized she was also...proud? They were equals. She wanted them to be strong, and wanted to be strong herself, and so she’d agreed to teach them the very skills that she believed to blacken her soul. She was proud because they were brave and still kind in the face of violence. “Well? Shall we begin?” Lixwe offered.

“Yes.” Allura agreed. Lixwe sank back into her stretch with far too much grace. Allura, Keith, and Shiro slowly sat to join her.

Lixwe was a very patient teacher. It was hard to copy the majority of her techniques, seeing as they didn’t have four arms like she did, but she always found a way to help them apply her skills to their particular fighting styles. Keith in particular learned quickly how to toss his bayard from hand to hand mid-maneuver, making him twice as deadly. He was ambidextrous, but had always stuck with one hand during a fight. Now two planes of his body were equally deadly.

Lixwe was fascinated by Allura’s technique. The Iujonians were fast and had incredible stamina, but their strength couldn’t hold a candle to the Alteans. She watched Allura throw Shiro when they were sparring with one another and asked question after question, seeking to learn the stances to throw one’s opponent.

“If you can’t bodily lift them like I can, you need to find just the right moment to use their own body weight against them. I’ve seen Shiro use it on people twice his size.” Allura said, helping said paladin up.

“If an enemy is charging you, it takes very little to use their own momentum to move them.” Shiro summarized.

“Yeah, but it happens so  _ fast.”  _ Keith pointed out, watching intently. “Can you show us more slowly?”

“Of course.” Allura took charge, gesturing for Keith to follow her. “You’ll both learn better this way. If you were to charge Shiro…” When Keith did as directed, Shiro spun and went to boost him upright when Allura’s superior strength suddenly held them in position.

“Oh!” Lixwe drifted close.

“Do you see where he got you off balance, Keith?” After that it was easy to send you packing.” Allura pointed out.

“I--yeah. Can you put me down?” Keith squirmed a little, half upside down from Shiro’s aborted throw. He brushed himself off when Allura set him upright and on terra firma. “That’s a good technique. Did you learn that at the Garrison?” Keith asked.

“No. I learned it…” Shiro frowned at the ground, trying to remember clearly. He knew that he’d adapted his fighting style to larger, more dangerous opponents when he was a gladiator in the Galra’s clutches. But still, for the life of him, he couldn’t pluck out an individual memory of who might have helped him or when he had learned the technique. “I don’t remember.” He settled for with a faint shrug, trying to pass it off as nonchalance.

Keith clearly didn’t believe him, and neither did Allura, but she saved him by turning to Lixwe and asking, “Did you wish to try it, Princess?”

“Oh, please, call me Lixwe. As I said before, we are equals.” Lixwe waved two hands dismissively. “And...yes. I would like to try it.” Her expression grew determined. She charged, and Shiro mindlessly turned and grabbed the front of her uniform, as he had with Keith, to throw her. As before, Allura caught them both to suspend the moment.

It was then that Shiro realized how  _ warm  _ Lixwe was. It seemed as if Iujonians, like their planet’s climate, were just as hot. Even through the front of her tunic he could feel soothing, never ceasing  _ heat.  _ She had slid an arm around his shoulders for balance and perhaps to try and get out of his hold before the throw had even begun, but now it was a nice warm, soothing weight. And why hadn’t he noticed before how much Lixwe smelled like warm coconut milk and saffron? Like home, like--

“I see! The opponent only needs the strength to direct the enemy’s momentum, not the strength to lift  _ and  _ throw them!” Lixwe was saying, sounding fascinated where she was upside down and tangled. “May I try it one more time?”

“Of course,” Shiro managed to sound completely normal, even when he was furiously berating himself for feeling attraction to Lixwe. It was a horrible idea: she was alien royalty, he was the leader of Voltron. They both had incredibly burdening duties and responsibilities to uphold. Besides, did Lixwe even like men in that way? Like  _ humans  _ in that way?

Most likely not.

It took effort to focus again so that as Lixwe began to charge, he was ready to toss again. Except, this time, one of Lixwe’s arms snaked around his middle and with a big heave she used her momentum, even with him redirecting it, to knock him off balance and send him staggering back and to the floor, Lixwe on top. “Aha!” She said brightly, looking far too beautiful perched on top of him, a warm, solid presence with eyes that sparkled and a soul that, to him, looked completely unstained. She was innocent and  _ sweet.   _ “Shiro? I apologize; did I fall on you too hard? Are you injured?” Lixwe was asking, tone concerned, as she hastily got off of him.

“No. Just winded.” He flushed, and hoped that he could write off his coloring cheeks as exertion and not embarrassment. “That was good. Very clever.”

“I’d ask you to teach me, but I don’t have another set of arms.” Keith sounded impressed, but when Lixwe wasn’t looking, speaking with Allura, Keith shot Shiro a knowing, half-angry look.

“Perhaps we should end our training here.” Allura suggested.

“It was an honor to fight with you. I have learned a great deal.” Lixwe said seriously. “Thank you for risking diplomatic tension in order for us to better understand one another. I value your bravery.”

“We understand that you have been set upon a difficult path. You have embraced it with grace.” Allura responded, and the two alien princesses smiled at one another.

 


End file.
